We spent years preparing for our career, perfecting our technique, educating patients about prevention, and advocating for oral health. We became dental hygienists because we wanted to make a difference and be health-care professionals and educators who transform lives, one patient at a time.
However, somewhere along the way, we agreed to cut corners, treat patients with subpar instruments, work in unsafe conditions, and do the “best we can with what we have.” The procedures we mastered through education and experience are now being simplified and outsourced. We might feel like our expertise is being devalued, and our role is diminished.
We’re part of the problem
The uncomfortable truth is that we played a part in creating this reality—not intentionally, not maliciously, but through our collective actions over the years.
We normalized the mundane. Instead of positioning ourselves as oral health strategists and systemic health advocates, we accepted being seen as “teeth cleaners.” We focused on tasks rather than transformation.
We undervalued our knowledge. We didn’t educate our patients about the mouth-body connection; we provided simple answers rather than revealing the depth of our understanding of inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and systemic health.
Also, we did not continue to be lifelong learners, as we vowed to do at our pinning ceremonies. Instead, many dental hygienists provide the same level of care and attention to all patients, regardless of the patients’ conditions or needs.
We stayed in our comfort zones. While other health-care professionals evolved in their roles, expanded their scope, and demanded recognition for their expertise, many dental hygienists remained content with the status quo of brush, floss, rinse, scale, and polish.
We didn’t tell our story. We let others define our value instead of articulating the critical role we play in preventive health care and patient education. The emergence of oral preventive assistants (OPAs) isn’t just about economics or efficiency; it’s reflecting how we’ve positioned ourselves in the health-care hierarchy.
But here’s what I know about dental hygienists: we are not just tooth scrapers. When you practice at scope and evolve with science and technology, you begin to deepen your understanding of the mouth as the gateway to systemic health. You see connections that others miss. You have the power not just to save lives, but to transform them.
The question isn’t, “How do we compete with OPAs?” The question is, “How do we reclaim our position as the oral health experts we’ve always been?”
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